First Night up North Mountain
by wolfgirl2001
Summary: Kristoff and Anna getting to know each other on the first night of their journey up the North Mountain to see Elsa. Told from Kristoff's POV.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, for a flesh-and-blood, non Pixar-animated woman, I've become entirely too fixated on Kristoff from _Frozen_ ever since I finally saw the movie a couple of months ago. There. I said it. So I'm writing this. And while I'm normally an alternate-ending kind of person, I loved the ending of _Frozen_ as is, so instead I'm going to attempt in this _Frozen_ fanfic to fill in some of the time between when Anna and Kristoff stave off the wolves, and when they find Olaf the next morning. I own nothing.

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Chapter 1 (Kristoff POV):

As he and Anna continued their trudge up towards the North Mountain, Kristoff stifled a yawn. They must have been walking for an hour or so now, at least- though he had absolutely no idea what time it was. He had spent enough time outdoors that he could almost always accurately tell the time of day by the position of the sun in the mountains, especially in summer. But with the darkness, the storm, the possibility of it being winter again- other than knowing it was well into the night, Kristoff was pretty clueless. Regardless, he had been up since early the previous morning delivering his haul of ice, and fatigue was starting to set in. _I wonder when I'm going to get to catch some shuteye,_ he thought _._

 _Not anytime soon_ , replied his inner monologue's voice, which sounded eerily similar to the one that he usually reserved for Sven. The last time he saw it, the mountain still seemed so far in the distance it might as well have been a million miles away as far as Kristoff's next night's sleep was concerned. Time seemed to be of the essence so he hadn't yet dared suggest to Anna that they halt their trek and take a break. _Besides, what would you sleep on?_ , the voice interjected pointedly. _Your sled just went plummeting over the side of a cliff a little while ago, remember? True_ , Kristoff thought- the carved wooden back of his sled _was_ where he tended to curl up whenever he needed a place to crash in a pinch. Not to mention, he now no longer had anything of substance to lie on as he slept. _Yeah,_ the voice added, _she burned your sleeping bag and_ _ _almost_ used it to either take your head off or set you on fire. _

_But I didn't_ , a different voice added in reply, _her_ voice from earlier now in his head, and Kristoff smiled, sneaking a quick glance over in Anna's direction. He supposed he shouldn't really be complaining about his lack of stuff considering that she had promised to replace it- _and_ that she had just saved his life (though it was a circular argument, because had they left at dawn when he had initially suggested they might have avoided the wolves altogether). He and Anna had fallen into a sometimes companionable, sometimes slightly awkward silence as they walked, both of them physically and emotionally drained from the evening before. And yet- part of Kristoff felt invigorated, too. Maybe it was all of the adrenaline that was still coursing through his veins following the wolf-chase and their harrowing jump over the ravine.

But part of it was just _her_ , he was sure.

Kristoff hadn't spent a whole lot of time in the company of women, and even less so with ones that were so- vivacious. Charming. Resilient. Spirited. And- beautiful. Oh, sure, Anna seemed flighty and impulsive and clumsy, too. But being so close in proximity to someone of the opposite sex who absolutely radiated so many positive qualities- plus likely possessed many more he had yet to discover- was starting to do some strange things to Kristoff's insides. Things he couldn't really identify or label but were there nonetheless. In the midst of being chased down by the wolves, when he had bundled Anna into his arms preparing to hurl her onto Sven, he still managed to take enough time to register how she smelled. _Amazing_. _Way_ better than reindeers.

So he still wanted to sleep, but part of him wanted to lie as close as possible to Anna while doing it.

 _She's engaged to someone else_ , he quickly interrupted himself, though perhaps a fraction of a second too late. Because in that fraction of a second he allowed himself to think of the two of them lying side-by-side next to a fire, Anna wrapped in his arms again, this time not just out of necessity. Being close enough to be able to smell her again, this time for more than just an instant.

Okay, so maybe he didn't _just_ want to sleep next to her.

 _She's engaged to someone else_ , he repeated. And Kristoff wasn't a creep. Really, he could satisfy his curiosity about this girl just by continuing to talk to her. _Oh, but a nap sounds so good right now_.

"So, you must be starting to get tired," he began before he could think better of it, looking over at Anna again, a little grin beginning to lift up one side of his face. "I mean," he clarified, "meeting and getting engaged to someone, helping to cause the biggest snowstorm of the century- that must be an exhausting day." Though Anna was obviously trying very hard not to react, Kristoff could see her mouth move into just the hint of a little smile. And what a lovely mouth it was.

"Mmmmm-hmmmm," she replied, not looking his way. Kristoff was convinced that she wasn't returning his eye contact for the simple reason that she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face as he teased her. Still, he wished she'd look over. "We don't all know love experts," she finally replied coyly.

"Seriously, though, aren't you tired yet?" He knew he was reflecting his own state of mind, but he didn't care. He paused, coming to a standstill, feeling a little concerned, for her as well as for himself.

But then Anna got serious, stopped and shrugged her shoulders, finally glanced over at him. The beginning of that smile that had started to form stopped abruptly, and Kristoff could see by her expression how exhausted she really was. "I'm all right," she said reassuringly, but her body language betrayed her words and he could tell that she was trying to fool him, or at least fool herself. "I just want to find Elsa. Let's keep going." He knew she'd fall asleep immediately if he picked her up and carried her.

He would have liked to offer it, but he was way too tired for that. He shrugged back at her. "How about a nap first?" He suggested, as casually as he could muster.

Anna glanced around them. Admittedly, it was a preposterous time to propose this. While the storm had stopped, snow was everywhere- covering rock. There wasn't currently anything in their vicinity that could soften or warm their sleep. Kristoff shrugged as he started striding again, picking up the pace. "We'll keep looking."

As they walked, Kristoff didn't want them to fall into an uneasy silence again. He was itching to talk to Anna; ask her questions. Sure, part of the reason was that he needed to stay awake, alert; keeping a conversation going helped with that. But really, he just wanted to know more about her. He found himself blurting out the first question that popped into his mind.

"So, since it'll be a while 'til we get to her- what's _your_ last name?" he asked her suddenly. He knew already; her parents were the rulers of Arendelle for crying out loud. But he was hoping Anna would understand why he was starting there, why he thought of that particular question so quickly.

She smiled, immediately catching on. "This is probably a conversation I should be having with Hans first," she began as Kristoff tried unsuccessfully not to roll his eyes, but then continued, "But since you asked-" She told him what it was. "Yours?"

"Bjorgman," he replied. "Favorite food?"

She smiled wider. "It used to be ice cream. Now, I'm not so sure. You?"

Kristoff laughed heartily. "Steak. Over the fire." Just thinking about eating from a roaring fire with Anna got him feeling all kinds of primal hungers. But it was time to be serious. He knew this next question would be tough- but he felt like he had to ask it, she was expecting it, he knew. Kristoff cleared his throat. "Best friend?" he asked softly, a note of sadness in his voice.

Anna shrugged. "It used to be Elsa," she said quietly. "I don't know if it still is or not." She smiled sadly for a moment, but then shifted her focus, and a note of sympathy entered her tone as she switched gears. "I guess I know who yours is," she added, giving Sven an affectionate pat.

Kristoff nodded stiffly, adamantly. This was what perhaps drew him to Anna the most- she grew up isolated, like him. He'd remembered the passing of the king and queen. Anna understood what it was like to be lonely. And yet she seemed so wide-open, so trusting, so loving, when he had all but closed himself off.

Kristoff felt a lump rise in his throat, but he quickly swallowed it. They were about to get to some better questions. He wasn't going to let himself get emotional now.

"Eye color?" he asked her, a little hoarsely. But she didn't need to answer. He already knew; he'd already looked at them closely enough. He mouthed the word to himself as Anna said it.

"Blue. What about yours?"

Kristoff shrugged. "Hazel, I think. I'm not sure."

In response, Anna reached out gently grabbed his arm; they skidded to a halt as he looked at her in surprise, unnerved by her touch. She stared back into his eyes. There was a little light to draw from- the sky had cleared a bit so the moon and stars were bright, and the pure white snow reflected the light from them nicely. But it was still a ways from daybreak, and they'd lost their lantern. Hand still encircling his forearm for balance (which she so obviously needed), Anna leaned in _really_ close to him, rising to her tiptoes. Her lips were just inches away from his as she examined him closely, moving up and down on her toes a few times to gaze into his eyes from every angle, presumably in an effort to catch the most starlight. As she moved, Kristoff caught a few more whiffs of her better-than-reindeer scent, and it overwhelmed him in the most intoxicating way possible. He inhaled deeply, trying to suck as much of it through his nostrils as he could, while he visibly trembled under her fingertips. "Yup," she proclaimed after her (very thorough) inspection. "They look hazel to me. But I'll have to check again once the sun's up just to be sure."

Kristoff gulped. He'd never wanted to kiss someone so much in his life, and now he was going to have to repeat the same torture tomorrow morning? _She's engaged to someone else_ , he repeated in his mind, his new mantra. He jerked away quickly and started walking again.

The worst part of it all was to see the disappointed and slightly hurt expression on Anna's face as he moved away from her- but he couldn't stand that closely to her for a second longer, her hands and her scent were just incredible. Out of respect for her (and her engagement, as flimsy as it sounded), he had to separate himself. He quickly moved onto the next question as they walked faster. "Shoe size?"

Anna glanced down at her petite feet, covered in her new black boots. "Whatever size these are, for tonight," she said. "But normally a six-and-a-half. You?"

Kristoff looked down at the pear-shaped, square-shaped weirdness of his feet. "Thirteen," he muttered shyly. They were pretty ginormous.

When he looked back up at Anna, even from this distance and in this lighting he could tell that she had a slight blush. "Wow, that's big," she said, somewhat in awe.

He had no idea if she was blushing about what he _thought_ she might be blushing about, but if she was, he was _way_ too embarrassed to significantly address it. Yet _way_ too flattered to ignore it entirely. "Thanks?" was all he could think to reply before adding quickly, "I thought foot size didn't matter."

"It doesn't," she interjected quickly, blush even more furious now, overtaking her face.

Kristoff watched her there a moment with smug satisfaction- she didn't know Hans' shoe size, but she would surely remember his. He definitely wasn't going to tell her whether or not it revealed anything else about him- he was more than content in letting her assume that it did.

He thought back to their conversation in his sled. What was the next part? Oh, yeah, _have you had a meal with him yet_? Come to think of it, Kristoff was famished- he hadn't eaten in a while, and combined with the exertion, talking about steaks- he could practically eat a whole steer. Of course, he suspected that his hunger extended well beyond that of food. But perhaps eating something could satiate him enough to take the edge off. Of course, most of his food supply was now several hundred feet below them, already flambéed and char-broiled in the back of his sled. But he did remember slipping a couple of foodstuffs into his smaller sack for when he needed to venture farther away. He dug into his bag, after a moment pulling out a couple of knekkebrøds and a cinnamon bolle. He split the cinnamon roll into two, portioning half for Anna, and offered it to her along with one of the flatbreads. It wasn't a full meal, but it would have to do. "Here," he said. He just couldn't shake his desire to take care of this girl. "You hungry?"

Anna accepted gratefully. "Thank you," she said, before biting delicately into the flatbread. After chewing and swallowing, she added, a little shyly, "Am I supposed to watch you eat now? And take notes?"

Kristoff almost choked on his knekkebrød. Suddenly, he realized that Anna might have misinterpreted his actions. _God, did she think that I was trying to tell her that I was a better match for her than her own fiancé? Just because I have bigger feet and she'll like the way that I eat?_

 _That's exactly what you're trying to do, dumbass_ , his inner monologue spoke up again. _And considering that she's only known the guy a day, maybe it'll work, too._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Kristoff pretended not to hear Anna's question about watching him and taking notes, using the loud crunching sound of the flatbread in his ears as justification for not looking over at her (though he was sure to keep his mouth closed as he chewed, just _in case_ she happened to glance in his direction- he didn't want her to hate the way he eats, after all). He wasn't sure where their conversation would go from here- Anna seemed content to stay silent, at least some of the time, and he'd already gone through the gamut of questions that he could easily pull off the top of his head. He certainly wasn't planning to return to the next part of their previous dialogue, which called for him to pick his nose and then eat it. At the very least, Kristoff decided, he would wait until it wasn't their _first_ night together to do that.

So it was back to walking in slightly awkward silence again. This time, however, Kristoff made it a point to take advantage, when he wasn't wonderfully distracted by the things that Anna was saying, to carefully note their surroundings. He was still kicking himself for their earlier conversation on the sled that allowed him to drop his guard and let Sven guide them right into the wolf pack.

Nights were very short this time of year. And while it was still pretty dark, in the last few minutes the sky had begun to lighten just a bit. This appeased Kristoff for two reasons- first; it indicated that while Elsa's magic might have affected the temperature, it didn't seem to significantly affect the sunrise or sunset. And second, it gave him a much better bearing on things- he could finally take a guess at what time it was. Probably around 3 a.m., by the looks of it.

Not only could Kristoff now approximate the time, but since his eyes had adjusted to the twilight fairly well, he could actually see ahead of them a bit better. Not too far, but far enough to tell that they were still quite a ways from their destination. They wouldn't get to the top of North Mountain until the afternoon, at the earliest.

Which made lying down for a nap with Anna all the more appealing.

Kristoff looked side-to-side. They were walking through a more wooded part of the mountain now, and trees were thickly lined up on either side of them. He needed to start paying attention to the forest, because if he could convince Anna to hunker down with him for a couple of hours, it definitely needed to be where they would be protected by their surroundings and not just out in the open.

He saw his opportunity just a few minutes later, when they noticed a fallen tree trunk obstructing their path. Kristoff could tell that the storm Elsa brewed had done some damage- they had seen several broken tree branches during their walk, for example- but this was the first evidence of something more severe. However, the falling of this particular tree was actually quite fortuitous; since it happened recently, there wasn't any snow on it, and it was ideally situated near some other trees that would serve as good protection. The trunk was small, but the extensive network of branches and pine needles of the conifer would make for a soft enough place to lie down. Kristoff had another sweater in his knapsack that he and Anna could use to try to keep warm. If they also started a fire and cuddled up real close.

 _That's the kicker._

Kristoff cleared his throat, trying to summon his courage. He didn't have much time- they would be well beyond the tree in a minute or two- so he swallowed and acted quickly. "Anna?"

Anna turned to him, and once again he found himself caught by her big blue eyes. "Yes?" she asked.

 _Dammit. What was I going to say?_

"Um- do you mind if we stop for a little bit? Sven and I could use the rest." _Sure. Blame the reindeer._ He pointed ahead of them in an effort to clarify, explain things to her. "I'm not sure how well you can see it, but the peak of North Mountain is still really far away. We won't get there until tomorrow afternoon. Honestly, I'm not sure I can make it until then without a break." _And I definitely don't want to, if I can lay here with you._

Anna peered in the direction Kristoff was pointing and then looked down, conflict plain as day on her face. He could tell that Anna wanted to keep going, but she also wanted him to 'tag along' as she so eloquently put it earlier. It was obvious that she was grappling between stopping here with him and moving on alone. Part of Kristoff wished he hadn't felt so obligated (and charmed) when Anna told him that they had to leave tonight- because had they stayed put, the little cabin outside Oaken's Trading Post would have been a much warmer option for them all to rest (not to mention, he might still have his sled). Though if they had done that, Kristoff supposed, he and Anna wouldn't have gone through a death-defying wolf chase together, and probably wouldn't have spoken, gotten to know each other better. It would have been easy for Anna to keep her distance from him had they waited to start their journey until this morning since the warmth from that toasty little fire was all throughout Oaken's barn.

Anna finally shrugged, too tired to argue. "All right. Just for a little bit, if that's okay. I guess I could use some rest myself." This was an understatement- she was clearly exhausted. Kristoff wouldn't have let her go on alone- it would have been far too dangerous, especially with the wolf presence- so he would have joined her anyway had she decided to continue on the trail. Still, he was psyched that they could stop for a bit, especially since they couldn't relax while they were moving anymore like they had when they were on his sled.

Kristoff tried not to show his excitement at her reply, instead immediately getting to work. He instructed Anna to grab some dry sticks for kindling (since she was clearly not going to be content to sit idly by). Grateful that he had managed to save his rucksack and Sven's carrots in the chase, he retrieved matches from the side pocket and set to work in finding and clearing the right spot to start their fire. Within a few minutes Kristoff had fed and attended to Sven as well as gotten a blaze going. He was used to being with Sven in the elements; the hardest part about building the fire was knowing that Anna was watching him over his shoulder, observing, perhaps critiquing. But when he turned around, Anna was looking at him with a sense of admiration. He suddenly felt immensely proud.

Kristoff also noticed that Anna had removed her newly-purchased winter shawl to cover their tree, wide enough to accommodate both of them lying, or at least sitting, down on it. She stood there, in one less layer for herself, and he could see her start to shiver. "Is this all right?" she asked him, gesturing to the closest thing to a blanket either of them had.

Kristoff nodded with a little smile. "Are you sure you're willing to give it up? You look cold."

Anna nodded stiffly. "I'll be okay," she lied again.

Kristoff grinned to himself and dug into his knapsack once again, removing the extra sweater and tossing it to her. He didn't need it that badly; he always kept winter gear in his sled regardless of the season, so he had bundled himself up well when the storm hit. Not to mention, he was just used to the cold. Even if he had wanted the sweater, Anna looked like she needed it more than he did, and she had just offered up one of her layers so that he could sit down more comfortably beside her. Really, it was the least he could do. "Here," he said, "take this." As an afterthought, he added, "Though I don't know how clean it is."

Anna inspected the garment, holding it up to get an idea of its size, and then bringing it close to her face and neck, inhaling deeply, sniffing. A little smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "It's clean enough. But it smells so- manly," she finally said, with equal parts curiosity and disgust.

Once again, Kristoff didn't know what to make of that. Evidently, Anna was just as sheltered as he was when it came to time spent with the opposite sex. No wonder Hans had managed to charm her into marriage in the space of a single evening. Kristoff finally let out some nervous laughter. "Is- is that a bad thing?" He figured his sweater probably reeked of him, but he didn't think it was _that_ offensive.

"No," she quickly answered him, and Kristoff could swear that she was blushing again. "Not at all. Thank you," she said again. Anna slipped the sweater over her torso. While it was more than a few sizes too big for her, she soon began to look more comfortable, temperature-wise. She plopped down on her half of the tree, on one side of the trunk, and started creating friction in her gloved hands, rubbing them by the rapidly warming fire. She gestured to the other side. "Have a seat."

Content that their fire was in good enough shape, and seeing that Sven was dozing peacefully beside it, Kristoff finally sat. This was uncomfortable. Not the seat- the tree branches and soft pine needles and Anna's big shawl was enough to both warm and cushion his backside- but the moment. There was only a six-inch tree trunk between them- yet Anna felt like she was a universe away. He longed to be closer to her. He wanted to _warm_ her, and for her to warm him.

They sat in front of the crackling fire in silence for a few minutes, both of them extending their hands towards the flames. Refusing to relegate them to silence yet again, Kristoff asked Anna something that had been on his mind for a while.

"So- is it because you miss her?" he asked.

"Is what because I miss her?" Anna replied. She was still moving her hands absentmindedly across the flickering heat, eyes in a daze.

"Is- I mean-" Kristoff stammered. He felt like he needed to tread carefully. "Are- are you going after your sister because you miss her? Because you miss back when- whenever it was that she was your best friend?"

Anna looked thoughtful. "I'm sure that's part of it," she said. She finally broke her eyes from the fire, glancing over at him. Kristoff felt like he might melt when she smiled. "You're observant."

Kristoff wasn't about to chime in that he could sympathize with Anna's plight because he too was lonely, aching for human touch (there's no other reason, in his mind, that Anna would have gotten engaged so quickly). He also wasn't about to affirm he had been paying so much attention because he found her so attractive, either. So he just shrugged. "About some things, I guess."

"What else do you see?" Anna's eyes were wide and curious.

Kristoff cleared his throat, stalling for time, before finally making eye contact with Anna _. I see that your heart is gaping from the hole that your sister left in it, and that you're trying to fill it with what you perceive as love from someone you doesn't even know you. That despite the hole, you have such a big and beautiful heart, just like your big and beautiful mouth where the funniest and truest and cutest words escape and those big and beautiful eyes that you're using to look at me right now. That the someone who doesn't even know you couldn't possibly want to find out more about you than I do._ "You have beautiful eyes." He murmured unconsciously. _Oh, shit, did I really just say that?,_ Kristoff wondered, instantly panicked _._ It _was_ the feature of Anna's that he had focused on for the moment- it was hard to take his eyes off of them, in fact. But this was too much, too soon. He immediately started backtracking. "I mean- um, they're nice." _Nice?!_

Anna's face was varying shades of crimson now, and Kristoff knew then there was no way that she didn't hear him or that he could take back the word 'beautiful', no matter how many completely mundane words like 'nice' he inserted instead. This was the first actual compliment he'd given her- and well, the first compliment he'd given _anyone-_ in a while. Yet, despite his now intense vulnerability, Kristoff was surprised to find that he didn't regret a word. It was true, after all- and Anna deserved to know it, she deserved to _feel_ as pretty as she _was_ , even it was from the mountain man who was accompanying her on her trek to find her sister and not from her fiancé. And despite the fact that Anna was technically engaged, Kristoff didn't feel remorse about that, either. After all, at this point he probably knew her as well as Hans did.

Besides, her blush was just too damn cute.

"Thank you," she managed to get out, biting her lip. It looked like she wanted to say more- tease him perhaps- but he could tell by the hotness of his face that he was blushing too, so perhaps she decided to take pity on him and spare him her ribbing this time.

Preparing himself for a wisecrack, Kristoff quickly glanced down, still embarrassed, and he suddenly busied himself by poking a large stick at their fire, again and again. The flames whipped about, swirling heat all around them. He didn't look back up until Anna spoke up again, what seemed like minutes later.

"No, what's nice is this fire you've been working on," Anna said, mercifully changing the subject just before stretching her arms and opening her mouth wide in a yawn. He could see the wheels turning in her mind as she glanced around them, taking in the crackling flames, the tree, her shawl at their backs. "Hey, do you think we might actually be able to sleep here? At least take an hour or so nap before the sunrise?"

Kristoff grinned. Now _that_ was more like it.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:  Thanks for all of the encouragement, guys! It's hugely motivating, hence this chapter being finished already :)

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Chapter 3:

Kristoff couldn't believe his good luck. Anna was actually asking _him_ if he wanted to nap with _her_. He could envision the two of them lying right next to each other. He would be close enough to stroke her hair, smell the back of her neck, maybe kiss her ear. No, _nibble on_ her ear. And Anna would moan and then….

"Sure, for a little bit, before it gets too bright." It only just occurred to Kristoff that he should say something. His mind was otherwise _very_ pleasantly occupied.

Except….in response, Anna simply flopped backward at the waist to lie down, keeping very clearly to her side of the tree trunk, at least a couple of feet away from him. She moved her toes to the tree's edge, and then straightened her legs, powerfully scooting up the soft branches on her rear end (well, on all of her petticoats, Kristoff supposed). She then stuck out her boots, now facing the fire. "Ahhhhh," she said, allowing herself to stretch out her arms, still keeping them on her half, of course. "This feels great- I really needed a rest actually. I feel like I've been hiking for days straight."

Kristoff smiled. No, he wouldn't get to hold her just yet, but this would have to do for now. He followed suit, moving himself backward on the tree limbs until his feet were just dangling over the edge of the lowest tree branch, his head parallel to hers. He wasn't as close as he wanted to be- the pesky trunk still separated them, and neither of them was smack against it. The trunk had, however, gotten thinner where their faces were- it was maybe a few inches- so Kristoff could at least sneak a peek at the tip of Anna's profile when he glanced over. "Yeah, it does. Me, too." Since half a day before the storm, the hours (however many of them there were) had been draining.

Anna looked over at him as he spoke, and since he had already turned to his side to face her, she caught his right eye with her left. A little startled, Anna flinched, but didn't turn away. She then quickly blurted out, "I- I just wanted to say thank you again for taking me to see my sister. And- for suggesting we take this little break to rest. It's- I just- it's hard not to feel guilty when I'm not doing everything I possibly can to help Elsa or Arendelle, even if it's because I'm sleeping."

"You're welcome," Kristoff replied. "I understand. But you'll have a lot to say to your sister when you do see her. The last thing you'll want is to be fatigued- you should rest."

Anna nodded, her eye moving back and forth. "I know. Thanks again. Well, good-night, Kristoff."

Kristoff smiled again, loving the sound of his name rolling off her lips (particularly since she got it right this time). But part of him was a little sad. He really didn't want the night to end this way. "Good night, Anna."

* * *

Minutes later, Kristoff lay silently on his side of the tree. Despite how exhausted he was, he knew there was no chance of him drifting off in his current state- for one thing, he was just too cold. The fire had died down a bit, but that was only the problem in that his head was too far away from it. But besides his head being chilly, a sliver of his front was still exposed to the frigid air because he had used every remaining scrap of Anna's shawl on his half of the tree just to cover one of his hips. He didn't have enough "blanket" to go around.

Except- that wasn't really true. _If you just moved closer to her, right next to the trunk, you'd free up plenty of blanket, you dumbass._

But Kristoff hadn't moved, not yet. He was trying to keep his distance from Anna out of respect for her. He was being a gentleman. Or an idiot. Or something.

Kristoff also wasn't sleeping because he was way too concerned with what was happening a couple of feet away from him, on Anna's side. Her breathing wasn't particularly slow or rhythmic, and occasionally he could hear the branches rustle as she tossed and turned. He could only conclude from the sounds that Anna hadn't fallen asleep yet either.

"Anna?" Kristoff whispered softly. "Everything okay? Are you awake?"

"I'm all right. And yes, I'm awake," Anna whispered back impatiently, adding with an audible sigh, "Although I'm trying not to be." She was clearly annoyed but managed to sound charming anyway.

"Anything I can do?" Kristoff asked, a little bemused.

"Well," she sighed. "I'm freezing again. You made a really great fire- but the tree isn't wide enough to lay closer to it, and I don't have enough shawl to cover up. Maybe we should just get up and keep moving."

Kristoff mirrored her sentiments- except that last part, of course. He coughed, clearing his throat. _I don't just want to move closer to her, it's the smart thing to do to keep us both warm_ , he managed to convince himself. He finally gathered the courage to voice it out loud. "Um, if we both move closer to the tree trunk, we'll each have a lot more of your shawl to work with," he began. When he realized how Anna could react to his suggestion, he felt pressured to quickly add, "Look- I know you don't know me that well. But we're both cold. If we have extra shawl we can bring it together at the trunk and then we'll both be completely covered. Does that sound all right?"

Anna sighed again, even louder this time. She hesitated a few seconds before responding. "Look, if you have to know, I've never slept next to a guy before, either, all right? I mean, except for with my dad when Elsa and I used to get scared during thunderstorms and ask to sleep in our parents' bed. But this is different and I don't know how I feel about it."

Kristoff suppressed a grin. This was his first time attempting to sleep so close to a member of the opposite sex too, but he knew exactly how _he_ felt about it. Pretty damn amazing, actually. "How's it different?" He wanted to, in the nicest possible way, embarrass Anna just a little.

Anna huffed. "I don't know. It just is. Maybe it's because you're a lot bigger than my dad."

Kristoff chuckled. It didn't sound like an insult, at least. "Maybe it's because I'm not your dad."

Anna conceded. "Maybe."

"All right," he replied. "Can we tackle one problem at a time? If we move a little closer so that we can both warm up, then you'll be able to focus your energy on figuring out how you feel about it. And if you decide you'd rather be cold instead, that's fine."

The logic seemed to appeal to Anna. She nodded brusquely. "Okay," she said. "I'll move over."

Kristoff wasted no time in scooting in closer to the tree trunk, positioned on his side so that he could partially see over it. What he _really_ wanted was to spoon her, though he knew he had to give up on that idea, at least for now. Anna rolled inward until the soft _thunk!_ of her hitting the tree signaled that she couldn't roll anymore. Somehow, though, she ended up directly facing Kristoff, this time her eye just a few inches from his.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he replied, blinking, a little taken aback. She was so _close_ , and unless he screwed it up, she was going to stay that way. He tugged on the edge of Anna's shawl, pulling it stubbornly towards her, and sure enough the foot and a half or so of material that was freed was enough to completely cover him and reach the trunk with a few inches to spare. Kristoff kept his hand slightly over their partition, on Anna's side, offering her what little of the fabric remained. When she lifted her hand to imitate his motions, the two sections of her shawl finally overlapped in the middle. Instantaneously Kristoff could feel the difference; their body heat would be trapped between them now. But what affected him more was that Anna's fingers brushed his, sending his nerve impulses into overdrive and making his entire body tingle.

Kristoff's hands were pretty cold, but Anna's were even colder, and he had to fight the urge to climb over to her side and wrap her in his arms. Instead, he carefully arranged the shawl so that it would continue to stay shut and cover them both without either of them having to hold onto it. He was tempted to grab Anna's hand and rub it, try and force warmth back into her body. But instead he just hovered his hand and arm near hers over the tree trunk, hoping that eventually they could warm each others' limbs through their proximity alone.

Kristoff could smell Anna in every breath he took now, and it was affecting his judgment in the worst way. _Kissing her would warm us both up_ looped through his mind with every inhale of her scent.

"Well, we're definitely closer," Anna commented lightly, but with a nervous edge to her voice. Kristoff, speechless for the moment, simply nodded.

A couple of minutes passed, and that was all it took for Kristoff to realize that this move made a _huge_ difference in terms of their body temperatures. He felt himself grow warmer, drowsier, more relaxed, and he found his eyes drooping. Yet the closeness to Anna excited him at the same time. He wondered if she could be enjoying this even a fraction as much as he was, if this was enough for her or whether she wanted to get even closer. He knew he sure as hell felt the latter. Finally, his curiosity overtook him. He had to get a better idea of what she was thinking.

"So are you okay with being near me, or would you rather move back?" Kristoff asked her gently. He might as well get it all out there.

"Well, I'm a _lot_ warmer, and this was a good idea," she said brightly but with a clear hesitation in her tone.

"But-"

Anna looked sleepy as well, but she met his gaze. "How did you know there was a 'but'?"

Kristoff fully opened his eyes again, looked at her, arched an eyebrow. "Because you didn't actually answer my question."

At his response, Anna looked upward and let out an adorable though slightly irritated sigh. "Fine, there is a 'but'. This feels weird. Not only have I not slept next to boys before, but I'm engaged, and I feel like I'm doing something wrong."

"You're not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Look, if we still had my sled, we'd be able to sleep on either side of it and be fine. This was an unforeseen situation brought about by exceptional circumstances. It's not your fault we're cold."

"You're right." Anna was silent for precisely three seconds. "But I still feel guilty."

"Why?"

"Because I'm sleeping next to you when I've never even slept next to my fiancé."

"Sorry- but it's so weird that you just called him your fiancé. You just met him yesterday."

"I know."

Kristoff was pleased that Anna didn't reply how he expected her to, with another declaration of _'It's TRUE LOVE!'_ He felt he need to try and make her think about her impulsivity, her willingness to commit her entire life to someone she didn't know. And yet- she wasn't _really_ committed, her engagement couldn't have been that hard-and-fast, could it? Kristoff didn't know Hans, but to him any man who proposed to a young woman after only a day couldn't have been serious- or had pure intentions. But he didn't dare question Hans in front of Anna. He knew that the end result of that conversation would _not_ be good.

"Technically, I've probably known you longer than he has by now. So if you can call him your fiancé after twenty-four hours, what's so weird about calling me your friend?"

"Are we friends? I thought I just annoyed you."

 _If only you knew_ , Kristoff thought. He smiled, but his heart hurt a little. He rolled his eyes at her affectionately. "You can be annoyed with your friends, right?"

"I suppose."

"Well, all right then. Now let's take a nap together, friend."

"Okay."

Anna closed her eyes. Content that his reasoning was sound, and that Anna might actually be okay where she was, Kristoff decided it was all right to shut his eyes as well. But he knew sleep would evade him- upon getting closer to Anna, his heart had accelerated, his palms had gotten sweaty, and his thoughts had gotten wild. The _last_ thing he wanted to do with Anna so close to him was sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter's a bit shorter than the others. While I was originally going to post only one final chapter, I decided instead to split it up, so I will now still be posting in addition an "epilogue" of sorts. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 4:

Kristoff awoke a short time later to a brightening under his eyelids. The sunrise must have been imminent; he was used to getting up right around this time regardless of how long he slept.

Truthfully, Kristoff wasn't sure how he had managed to fall asleep at all, not with Anna positioned right near him. But she had fallen asleep so quickly and he soon realized that without the stimulation of their conversation, or the permission from Anna to hold her or kiss her, there wasn't a whole lot for him to do. Sure, for a little while he had been content just to watch her drift off, but she had begun slumbering so soundly (including some _very_ loud snoring) that it only served to remind Kristoff of how truly tired _he_ was. He didn't remember falling asleep, yet it had obviously happened at some point shortly thereafter. His snooze couldn't have lasted for more than forty-five minutes, but it was filled with strange yet vivid dreams of Anna, of her voice and of feminine smells and of so much _warmth_ that he could honestly say it was the best night's sleep that he'd ever had.

Kristoff half-opened his eyes, a little disoriented. Suddenly, he realized that where he was now was _not_ where he had nodded off. He was still tightly bundled under Anna's shawl, which was pulled up over his eyes and blocked his ability to see all that much, but he could certainly feel that the tree trunk wasn't jamming into his left side like before. Furthermore, he was significantly warmer now than he had been even after getting closer to Anna last night- and given that the fire at his feet felt about the same, or may have even subsided a bit more, it didn't seem to add up. Horror-struck, Kristoff slammed his eyes shut, afraid to inspect more closely, afraid of what he might find and certainly afraid to confirm what part of him already suspected.

But curiosity got the best of him. He opened his eyes again, fully this time, and took a good, long, look.

Yup. He was on Anna's side of the tree. And he was spooning her.

Kristoff didn't realize that he could feel utterly content and completely mortified at the same time.

 _My body was just looking for heat_ , he desperately tried to rationalize- but he knew it ran deeper than that.

What Kristoff wanted to do last night more than anything in the world was to hold Anna like he was doing right now, and it took him every ounce of willpower he possessed not to. And here while he was sleeping, his subconscious, badly seeking her companionship and her touch, must have just climbed over the only physical barrier that existed between them and simply reached out and grabbed what it wanted. This was the first time that Kristoff could really admit the truth to himself, despite the fact that he'd been fantasizing about her all night. _Yeah. I want her. Engaged or not._ In some ways Kristoff didn't know exactly what that meant yet; he hadn't known her long enough. He wasn't sure how long he would want her or in precisely what capacity. And yet it was all so simple. _I want her._

Kristoff debated on whether or not he should pull away. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Anna up, call her attention to what he had done. But could he slip away to retreat to his side of the tree and leave her without her stirring? He wasn't convinced that he could; at the very least, she would feel the cold air seep into her shawl as he exited. However, the thought of Anna waking up in his arms was even more terrifying; he would then have to explain how he got there, what he was thinking. Or even more embarrassing- that he wasn't thinking; that he did this unconsciously.

Paralyzed by his indecisiveness, Kristoff glanced down at Anna, adjusting the shawl just slightly and peering around their sides to see her face. In the light, he was now able to see her, _really_ see her, in all of her glory. Sure, her hair was messed up, with the locks that had escaped her hairstyle scattered every which way, and there was a little drool on the side of her mouth, which was slightly open. But- the way that her eyelashes flickered on her closed lids, the way that her lips pursed just slightly as her breath escaped, the way her chest slowly raised and lowered- she was simply beautiful, and looking at her like this made Kristoff's heart ache.

 _She's engaged to someone else. She doesn't want me the way that I want her, and she never will._

Except- he was sure that he affected her. How much he couldn't say, but her sleeping next to him had made her uncomfortable, so she clearly had noticed his physical presence. Kristoff could only hope that Anna considered that a good thing.

And, well, she _certainly_ affected him- Kristoff was closer in proximity to Anna than he had ever been. So much of her body was directly touching so much of his, and if she was doing strange things to his insides just by walking with him last night it paled in comparison to what she was doing to him now. He loved the feel of his bicep nestled under Anna's tiny waist. She'd wake for sure, but Kristoff was tempted to move his left arm in either direction anyway- to hold her slender ribcage if he slid his arm to the left side, or follow the sexy curve of her hip if he slid it to the right. His right arm was carefully situated at the center of Anna's chest; if he moved _that_ hand either way surely he'd feel the slight swell of her breasts. He blushed at the thought.

But by far the best thing about their current sleeping position was the closeness of their _bodies_. Kristoff could feel his chest pressed against their back, his groin pressed up against Anna's backside. Sure, they had about a million layers between them ( _far too many_ , Kristoff thought), but even so, if he let his thoughts run _too_ wild and he got too turned on, Anna would know for sure. He could feel his body responding at the mere thought, at the closeness. This was too much.

Kristoff had to get away- this was the sweetest form of torment. The problem was that they were still very much entangled. Aside from his left arm being pinned beneath her, she was gripping his right forearm tightly with both of her hands. _No wonder I was so warm while I slept_ , Kristoff thought.

 _The left arm will be easier to extricate_ , he reasoned, even though it was underneath her; Anna was curvy enough that lying on her hips had created a nice little crevasse at her waist for him to slip his arm under, and at least she wasn't grabbing that one. He started gently easing his arm back towards his shoulder, slowly, slowly, avoiding any sudden movements. But his arms weren't tiny and moving them didn't come without consequence- the momentum shifted Anna away from him a little and that was all it took for her to wake up with a bit of a jolt. Sluggishly, she rolled over, moving out of his arms so that she now faced him a little further away, and her questioning expression was enough to mortify him all over again.

"Anna, I'm so sorry," Kristoff tried to explain. He could feel himself turn beet-red, and he couldn't bear to meet her eyes. So he looked down and rambled on, "I just woke up like this. I didn't mean- I mean, I didn't try-" he couldn't even form the words, he was so humiliated, so vulnerable. But Anna interrupted him a few moments later with a gentle hand to his shoulder. Kristoff finally met her gaze.

"Kristoff, it's all right- it- it wasn't you. This was my fault, I think," she said, and now _she_ was the one turning crimson. "I- I think had a dream last night where we were still hiking and I was lost and then- then I remember- I remember calling out for you. A minute later, I felt this _warmth_ and it just felt so good and I didn't do anything to stop it; I thought it was part of the dream and- I just- it must have been-and I'm so- so sorry-," she faltered, clearly flustered, pulling her arm away, unable to continue.

Anna was flushed with embarrassment, eyes cast downward; _exactly_ how Kristoff felt just a moment ago. And yet she looked so- so _sexy_ that the voices in his head screaming _kiss her!_ just kept getting louder. He tried to will his thumping heart to get under control, his rapid breathing to slow, his wayward thoughts to center.

He tried to think, to evaluate her reaction. Thankfully Anna wasn't mad at him for being over on her side, but she clearly felt that what they did was a mistake, or she wouldn't be apologizing so profusely for it- right? While Kristoff felt a giant sense of relief that this misunderstanding involved both of them pretty equally, at this point if he couldn't actually _act_ on his feelings then he just wanted to move on from it, forget it happened- because she obviously would, or did.

"Anna, it's okay," he said, clearing his throat. He was careful not to reveal his disappointment, in either his words or tone. "We both were warmer and slept well. You don't need to feel bad about it." _At_ _all_ , he added in his mind. _At_ all.

"Okay," she said, uncertain. She finally looked back up, met his eyes. "Thanks."

 _God, this is torture_ , he thought. She wasn't in his arms anymore, and he couldn't act on his impulse to kiss her senseless, either. They were going to have to start walking again, or else she'd simply drive him crazy.

He coughed; changed the subject. "Well, shall we get up and get going, friend?" Kristoff asked her teasingly, giving her a smile. He hated how much he had to fake it.

Anna smiled back. "Okay."


	5. Bonus Chapter

A/N: I tried very hard to write this story with the thought that it should easily insert into the aforementioned gap that occurred in _Frozen_ without altering what happened next in the movie. This chapter, however, in no way fulfills that requirement- it is just a fun continuation of what I've already written.

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Bonus Chapter:

Kristoff turned to get up and was relieved to have his eyes off of Anna for a second so that he could regroup. He scrambled to his feet, planting them firmly on the ground just next to the base of the tree, and brushed off the stray pine needles from his thighs and butt. All the while, he forced himself to take several deep breaths and think about Sven, still napping contentedly beside them, to try and erase the picture he had of kissing Anna in his mind. It didn't work.

He turned around and looked down. Anna hadn't moved; she still lay perched near the edge of the tree branches- though she had a slightly guilty look on her face, as though she may have been watching him from behind. _Could she have been checking me out?_ Kristoff wondered. Anna reached up her hand, stifling a yawn. "I'm still a little tired. Help me up, friend?" she asked him sweetly.

"Sure." Kristoff reached down to extend his arm towards her. Grasping her hand, which was now even warmer than his, he tugged firmly, pulling Anna to her feet. In his distraction, he must have tugged a little too hard because the momentum carried her towards him, and Anna half-stumbled forward until she slowed enough to regain her balance. By the time she had straightened up and she and Kristoff stood facing each other, her body was _very_ close to his and her face was mere inches away.

"Um, hi," she gulped, starting to back up a bit, clearly uncomfortable.

"Hi," he replied, smiling a little- he loved that they were already repeating snippets of their prior conversations- but feeling equally awkward. "Sorry about that," he added sheepishly.

Anna shrugged, indicating to him that it was no big deal, and then glanced up into his eyes. It looked like she might have been trying to sneak a quick peek at him before looking away, but she ended up holding his gaze over several seconds, and as she did, her look of embarrassment was gradually replaced with one of slight wonder. "Your eyes _are_ hazel," she said finally. "It's light enough that I can see them better now. They're," she paused to clear her throat, "they're- they're beautiful, too," she finally managed to get out. Her voice was a little shaky, strained. But Kristoff wasn't looking at her mouth- he was still looking into her eyes. And just then, her returning look somehow transformed again- from awed- to _heated_.

 _Impossible_ , Kristoff thought. But he wasn't misinterpreting her stare- he _knew_ he wasn't. And that could mean only one thing. She had to have been feeling at least _some_ of the same things that he was. After all, she _did_ call out his name in her sleep last night, which she'd never even done with her own fiancé. _Her reaction from a few moments ago might have been because of a different reason entirely,_ Kristoff then realized- perhaps Anna was embarrassed enough that she felt the need to apologize simply because she had enjoyed their cuddling as much as he had.

Kristoff's gaze drifted downward just slightly, to Anna's mouth, and he noticed that she was now biting her lip. His breath hitched.

He was going to get the chance to act on his feelings after all.

Kristoff didn't thank her, or say anything in response. Before he could let himself think about it further, he leaned in and kissed her instead. He could have asked- maybe he should have asked- but he was terrified at the prospect of her saying no, of her citing her so-called "engagement" with Hans. And yet- the passion behind her eyes told him that she _wanted_ this. Kristoff had learned a long time ago- it was essential in his profession- to trust his instincts.

Sure enough, the moment his lips contacted hers, Anna responded hungrily, kissing him back.

Her lips were so soft and pliable and they molded to his just perfectly. The enthusiasm with which Anna responded to his kissing caused all of Kristoff's already overstimulated nerve endings to fire simultaneously, making his entire body throb and his heart sputter, pumping what felt like his entire available blood supply directly between his legs.

Kristoff had some experience kissing women. Their long ice hauls in the dead of winter inevitably caused some of his coworkers to seek out female companionship, and he had tagged along on evening trips to the lone pub near the North Mountain on more than one occasion. Somehow he managed to attract the attention of a few older and more experienced locals looking to have a good time. He had been told- by more than one of the women, in fact- that his attractiveness stemmed from his rugged good looks, strapping body, and aloof demeanor. He had enjoyed the company of these ladies, making out with them in dark corners of the bar and even in the supply closet- though he never accepted an invitation to accompany a woman back to her cabin (he had received several). In the last couple of years Kristoff had definitely learned a few things about the opposite sex. But despite his experience, Kristoff had always kissed mostly for fun; he had never kissed anyone that he _really_ _wanted_ before now- which probably explained why he never took any of the women he'd kissed up on their offers. Kissing Anna was so _different_ \- so _exciting_ , so _stimulating_. Involuntarily, he let out a little moan in her mouth. When she made a similar sound in response, Kristoff's groin ached so badly that for a second he worried he might lose control altogether.

He leaned towards Anna, moving his hands to her hips. He then snaked his arms around her back and slipped his hands upward, underneath his own oversized sweater. His scent mixed with Anna's was sexy as hell, and he wished that his sweater was _all_ that Anna was wearing. She'd be cold, sure, but Kristoff was confident that between himself and the fire, he could warm her up _really_ quickly.

But Kristoff refused to indulge his escalating fantasies, let them interfere with this moment- which was perfect exactly as it was. He allowed himself to just enjoy Anna's soft hands hesitantly creep upward until they were around his neck, and he groaned even louder than before when she ran her fingers through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp. He widened his mouth, opening hers a bit more in turn, and gently began exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Even though Kristoff wanted her more than ever, unlike Anna, he wasn't going to rush into anything- no matter _how_ much she tempted him. He was resolute in his determination to keep this at least somewhat innocent. After all, Anna still needed to find Elsa, so surely that was still on the fringes of her mind. Maybe Hans was, too.

Kristoff just had to kiss Anna passionately enough now for her to wipe out any thoughts of Hans, to make her to want to kiss _him,_ and _only_ him, again later. But Anna needed to want to kiss him _badly_. Badly enough to remember it as soon as they parted ways, whenever that would be; badly enough for her to decide that she wanted to end things with her fiancé; badly enough that she would initiate the uncomfortable, unpleasant task of breaking things off with Hans; and badly enough that she would return to Kristoff when it was all said and done, happy and relaxed, _missing_ him and _wanting_ him.

Kristoff supposed he had just a little more work to do to accomplish that- though he had an idea of exactly how he could do it. _Let her feel exactly how much you want her,_ he thought to himself. _Maybe she'll want you back._

It didn't take much. Kristoff simply took Anna into his arms while they were kissing and pulled her close. _Really_ close. Bodies completely pressed together close. Close enough for her to unequivocally feel how excited he was. Kristoff could feel Anna's heart accelerate in response, and she fisted his hair in her hands, scratching the back of his head even harder, letting out a little whimper in his mouth. _Hot damn,_ Kristoff thought _._ It didn't last though- a few seconds later Anna broke off the kiss and pulled away, gasping for breath, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Sorry about that," Kristoff muttered again, though he wasn't sure he was that sorry at all. Their kiss had just been the highlight of his last twenty-one years. And as far as letting Anna know he was turned-on- well, all he was doing was pulling her towards him while they were kissing. It felt so _good_ , and she definitely responded to it. Hopefully she wouldn't hold that against him.

Anna nodded, acknowledging his apology, but continued to stare at him, speechless. She looked like she wanted to say something but was utterly flabbergasted. Kristoff tried to remain optimistic- she _did_ look like she had enjoyed herself- but the longer she went without speaking, the more nervous Kristoff became.

Eventually, Anna spoke up. "That was…." She began, before switching tactics. "I mean…..," she tried again. After what seemed like forever, she broke out into a grin. "I wanna do that again," she finally said, two distinct circles of pink spotting her cheeks.

Kristoff smiled. "Me, too. But you should probably do a few other things first," he reminded her gently. He meant for her to end things with Hans, but Anna could interpret it any way that she liked, he supposed.

"I know," she whispered. "I- I should probably start now." She reached out for his hand, which he happily took. She spoke louder. "C'mon. Let's go find my sister."


End file.
